Friday, February 14, 2014

The latest from Mass Poetry



Small Press Fair, Poets with New Books, U35, Online Calendar, and more
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Reserve your table at the Small Press and Literary Fair at the Mass Poetry Festival


Saturday May 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 

The Small Press and Literary Fair will take place outside of the Peabody Essex Museum (with a rain location for inclement weather) on Saturday May 3 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Literary journals, library organizations, university libraries or academic programs, and other community centers are also encouraged to participate. This will be a great opportunity to promote your material to an audience of more than 1,500 poetry lovers, and to engage with like-minded organizations. 

Interested? Contact January O'Neil at info@masspoetry.org for details.

Attention: Poets with New Books


If you have a full-length poetry collection published in calendar years 2013 or 2014 (excludes chapbooks), sign up for our 2014 Poets with New Books Reading. The reading will take place on Saturday, May 3 from noon-3 p.m. Register now.

Click here for a blast from the past--Poets with New Books reading at the 2009 festival.

Adopting U35


Mass Poetry is thrilled to announce that we are taking over U35, a bi-monthly reading series for poets under 35, founded by Daniel Evans Pritchard (Boston Review; The Critical Flame). Daniel will stay on as Founding Director after his farewell mini marathon reading on Tuesday, March 11, which boasts a line-up not to be missed! Make sure to catch:
James Stotts | Sean Campbell | Nora Delaney | Amy Macabre | Hannah Baker-Siroty | Sarah Sweeney | Audrey Mardavich | Sam Cha | Derek J G Williams | Teisha Dawn Twomey | Matt Summers | Janaka Stucky | Krysten Hill | Shari Caplan | Alexis Ivy | Daniel Evans Pritchard @ 7 p.m., March 11, at Marliave (10 Bosworth St, Boston, MA).

Mass Poetry's first official U35 will take place in May. Details coming soon.

Check out our upcoming events!


With no shortage of events on our docket, we've added a Mass Poetry events listing to the website. Check back often, as we will keep it updated!

Buy an Ad in the Festival Program Book


Support the festival while promoting your book, small press, or organization in our 2014 Festival program. We have full-page, half-page, and quarter-page sizes available. It's a great way to spread the word to a dedicated audience.

Interested? Contact January O'Neil at info@masspoetry.org for details.

Want to be part of the action?


Volunteer at the 2014 Massachusetts Poetry Festival to receive a free T-shirt, free festival admission, and an invite to the VIP reception! Register now.

Cant wait until May to get behind the scenes? Volunteer at Student Day of Poetry on Friday, March 21. You'll receive a free SDOP T-shirt and access to the amazing headline performances and ever-stunning student open mike. Register here.

Poetry & Leadership


Stay tuned for more information on our March 31 fundraising event, Poetry & Leadership, in which we proudly partner with The Favorite Poem Project and Courage & Renewal Northeast to present poetry readings from several notable leaders from both the artistic and political spheres right here in Massachusetts.
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School Opening Delayed 2 hours

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT


Good Morning- 
Due to  icy roads and the anticipation of more precipitation until 7 a.m. school opening is delayed by 2 hours. 
Morning preschool programs are canceled. 
Emergency busing is in place for students who are walkers and for HS drivers - students may access a bus without a bus pass and bus drivers will pick up any student seen walking to school. For a list a bus stops please access district web site. 
School administration and clerical staff have a 1 hour delay. 
Central Office administration and clerical staff have a 1 hour delay. 

Thank You

This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-613-1777.

Winter St sign in Feb 2012
Winter St sign in Feb 2012

"We don’t have any room to cut"

The Milford Daily News reports on the 5 year financial forecast shared at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday:
In his five-year budget forecast, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said on Wednesday that balancing the fiscal year 2015 and 2016 budgets will be manageable, but in the years after the town may have to consider increasing taxes or cutting staff. 
Speaking to the Town Council, Nutting emphasized that his message of doom and gloom was not new and could change. 
"The trend shows us going negative a few years out," he said, noting that expenses will begin outpacing revenues. "But there’s a lot of unknowns — no need to panic at this point."

Read the full article here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140214/NEWS/140217568/1994/NEWS#sthash.cX4w7iH2.dpuf


My recap of the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/follow-money.html

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Franklin Schools: Weather Update and Friday Status

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Good Evening 
It is my hope that you all managed in this the terrible weather.  School department our offices were open  so I did experience the impact of  the snow/ice/sleet on our roads. I am thankful for my Jeep !!

We anticipate that all schools will be open in the morning. As the forecast continues to be unpredictable we are hopeful that by morning there will be significant improvement in the conditions. DPW has been plowing and treating roads and will continue  to treat roads/parking lots through tomorrow morning. In the event that snow/ice accumulations are more than anticipated we may need to delay the start of school, however this is not our goal.  An additional concern is the possibility of a power outage. Any loss of power in a school may  impact our ability to open a specific school. 
Due to the volume of snow, DPW will not be able to plow sidewalks by the start of the school day.  As a safety measure we will implement emergency transportation for our students who walk to school and for HS drivers whose parents feel  road conditions are not appropriate for new drivers. Buses have been directed to pick up any student walking. Buses will also pick up students at bus stops  and students will be able to access a bus without a bus pass. For a list of bus stops please refer to the district web site and look for the drop down menu for transportation. As always if a parent feels the weather conditions are not safe for a child to attend school please feel free to exercise your right to keep your child home without impunity.

As this is our fourth ( hopefully final) snow day, our last day of school is now a half- day on June 20. For those traveling during the winter vacation, safe travels and hopefully you are going to a far warmer place. To all of our families and faculty- enjoy the vacation. 
Regards, 
Maureen Sabolinski

This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-613-1777.

Maybe winter will give us a break soon!
Maybe winter will give us a break soon! 

Follow the money

The Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Feb 12 had several points of interest.

1 - Deviating from protocol, Bob Donovan representing the fire fighters union used the Citizen Comment to talk about the agenda item which proposed to remove fire fighters from civil service positions. The union was surprised by the agenda item as they had not been notified before hand and were already in arbitration with the Town on the current contract. During that negotiation, the discussion was focused on other items in the contract. After making his statement in the allotted time, he also returned to speak during the agenda. The comments and arguments were not convincing and the Town Council voted unanimously to remove the fire fighters from civil service.

This is just a step in the process to do so. The Town is legally obligated to still negotiate with the fire fighters union over the implementation details. This would only affect new fire fighters and with the current forecast, about 75% of the fire fighters would be retiring within the next 5-7 years. This could have an immediate impact if during the negotiations, the newest 4 fire fighters currently hired through a grant are affected. Otherwise, as the fire fighters retire and their replacements get hired, those would be the ones coming in to work form Franklin but not through the civil service system.

Will this ultimately get resolved? Hopefully sooner than later. The fire fighters union does have a history of not resolving contract negotiations on time. They have been the last union to settle and as I recall most have gone the arbitration route to reach an agreement.

(Protocol for the Town Council meetings is that any citizen can speak for up to five minutes on a topic not on the published agenda.)

2 - Jeff Nutting presented the 5 year financial forecast. The previous draft has not changed. The document is reported to be posted to the Town website. When the link is found it will be added here. The previous draft version can be found here  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/franklin-ma-five-year-fiscal-forecast.html

3 - Maria Lucier, President of the Friends of the Franklin Library presented a check for $5,000 to the Library. Her remarks are listed in full here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/friends-of-franklin-library-5000.html

4 - Sewer extension approval was provided for a 9 unit development off Uncas Av and Ledge St. This apparently had been approved several years ago. The original developer went bankrupt, this agreement now allows the development to proceed.

5 - In the Administrators Report, Jeff Nutting provided several updates:

  • The CIC grant of $20,000 for the GIS map of the four communities covered by the regional dispatch system was acknowledged. 
  • The DPW also received a grant of $100,000 for work on stormwater. 
  • The State DOT did open the bids for the downtown project. Walsh Bros apparently is the low bidder but the contract has not yet been awarded. Stay tuned for further news on that front.
  • There will be a notice with the next sewer bill about not flushing 'swifters'. This is costing the town money as they clog up the sewer pump systems. The Council will see a future item for $100,000 to repair a pumping station.



Franklin, MA - Municipal Building
Franklin, MA - Municipal Building


The individual posts reported live from the meeting can be found here

Friends of the Franklin Library - $5,000 donation

Maria Lucier's statement for the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, Feb 12:

The Friends of Franklin Library is pleased to present a check for $5000 to the Franklin Public Library to be used for the purchase of library materials (Books, Dvds, and e-books). 
This brings the total the Friends have given to the library this fiscal year to just over $9000 ($9027.47). Since 2005, the FoFL has provided funding of over $184 thousand dollars to the library which has allowed purchase of “extras” not covered by the town budget, like museum passes, special programs, furniture, and more. 
The Friends are also pleased and excited to announce the creation of a $1000 annual scholarship in the memory of Wilma Winters, in recognition and honor of her dedication to and support of the FoFL. The first scholarship will be awarded to a Franklin High senior this spring. Part of the consideration for this is an essay indicating what the library has meant to them and how they envision the library of the future. 
Also, the FoFL recently became a member of the Massachusetts Friends of Libraries Association, and will be hosting the president of that group at our meeting on April 5. The MFOL sponsors workshops around the state and provides leadership on issues of regional, state and national concern to libraries. The meeting is open to anyone interested.

Benjamin Franklin statue outside the Franklin Public Library
Benjamin Franklin statue outside the Franklin Public Library


Schools Closed - Thu Feb 13th - Administrative Offices Open

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Good Morning

All Franklin Schools will be closed on Thursday and all evening activities canceled.
Central Administration Offices will be open.

Stay Safe

This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-613-1777.


Wachusett and King St during the Feb 2012 snow "Nemo"
Wachusett and King St during the Feb 2012 snow "Nemo"

Public Meeting - Emmons St building - March 4th

The public meeting to discuss the future uses of the Emmons St building, delayed due to a snowstorm in January, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 4

Please see the flyer below for details and plan to provide your input at this important meeting. 


flyer for public meeting on future of Emmons St building
flyer for public meeting on future of Emmons St building




In the News: goodbye civil service, MA governor candidates


Town Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution that will exempt future fire department hires from the Civil Service system despite the objection of the local firefighters’ union. 
President Bob Donovan said the union membership feels blindsided by the change, as it comes with the two sides already in state mediation to hash out a new contract, the final step before arbitration. 
Several firefighters attended the meeting as a show of support for the union’s position.

Read the full article here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140213/NEWS/140218323/1994/NEWS#sthash.zc2Ye1F2.dpuf


In November, Massachusetts voters will elect a new governor for the first time in eight years in what promises to be a gubernatorial race filled with both mainstream candidates and outsiders from a variety of political persuasions. 
Nomination papers for legislative and statewide elections became available Tuesday from the Secretary of State office. So far, nine people want to be the next governor.

Read the full article here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140212/NEWS/140218908/1994/NEWS#sthash.bAMjgNsq.dpuf

Guidelines and Criteria to be Applied by Franklin Town Council in Determining Penalty to be Imposed Upon Alcohol Beverage Licenseholder for Violation


A BYLAW TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF FRANKLIN AT CHAPTER 47.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE FRANKLIN TOWN COUNCIL that Chapter 47 of the Code of
the Town of Franklin is amended by adding a new Section 47-22 as follows:

§47-22. Guidelines and Criteria to be Applied by Franklin Town Council in Determining Penalty to be Imposed Upon Alcohol Beverage Licenseholder for Violation.

A. Guidelines for Compliance Check Violations:

First Offense

Three to five-day suspension, one to three days to be served, with balance held in abeyance for two years.

Second Offense*
Five to seven-day suspension, three to five days to be served, with balance held in abeyance for three years.

Third Offense*
Seven to ten-day suspension, five to seven days to be served, with balance held in abeyance for five years.

*Any outstanding prior penalty held in abeyance shall be brought forward and served.

All penalties shall be served, at Council's option, commencing on the day of the week of the violation.


B. Other Operational Violations:

The Town Council shall consider each alleged violation on its facts, on a case-by-case basis and reserves its statutory right to modify, suspend or revoke a license; however, it may, in its sound discretion, apply the guidelines for compliance check violations, as well as aggravating or mitigating factors as follows:

Aggravating Factors:

1. Deliberateness of violation: intentional, willful, or negligent.

2. Facts of violation
a. Incident impacting public safety or accident involving serious personal injury or death.
b. Continued service of intoxicated or underage person or serve of multiple intoxicated and/or underage persons.

3. Multiple statutory and/or local bylaw violations.

4. Licensee's obstruction of or non-cooperation in investigation.

5. Licensee's failure to provide adequate staff training and oversight procedures.

6. Number and frequency of prior violations.

Mitigating Factors:

1. Licensee's acknowledgment of violation.

2. Licensee's cooperation in investigation.

3. Licensee's prevention attempts: equipment installation, staff training, oversight procedures, etc.

4. Licensee's voluntary remediation efforts: additional equipment, training, procedures, etc.

This bylaw amendment shall become effective upon passage in accordance with the provisions of the Franklin Home Rule Charter.



The full listing of Franklin, MA bylaws can be found online here
http://ecode360.com/FR1096?needHash=true

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Live reporting - Closing


K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
CIC grant of $20K for dispatch center to create one map of the four towns combined

DPW won a $100K grant on stormwater

State did open the bids for downtown project, Walsh apparently low bidder, apparently not awarded yet

Head's up - coming in the sewer bills, don't flush the wipes down the toilet
$100K to replace grinder pumps due to the problem
pills harm aquatic life when they go through the system
this cost the sewer rate

Executive session is requested
Department head presentations starting enxt meeting with Facilities first

L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
discussion re-zoning route 140 at next meeting
bring the DPW back for the roads discussion, second meeting in Mar


N. COUNCIL COMMENTS


O. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

Live reporting - Legislation for Action


I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS


J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 14:06: Acceptance of Gift – Franklin Public Library

Maria Lucier - President of Friends of Franklin Library
Established a scholarship in name of Wilma Winters
$1000 to FHS senior, part of consideration is an essay
now part of the MA Association of Friends of the Library
$184,000 donated since 2005; covering areas for where the budget is not covered

motion to approve, seconded - passed 8-0


2. Resolution 14-07: Revoke Civil Service – Fire Department
motion to approve, seconded

since 1975 various groups have been exempted from civil service
the long exception currently is the Fire Dept
we do have a legal obligation to negotiate with the Fire Union
The union had said they did not want to negotiate until the Council revokes
it is a difficult and tedious human resources process
over 200 folks took the test recently
every grandfathered who exists, would only affect future hires

Mercer - proud of men and women that work for the Fire Dept
all of the other unions have changed, I don't see a downside to this
the system is over 100 years old
directed to negotiate sustainable contracts, we don;'t want to eliminate positions
new contracts needed to contain different structures for new employees, the others have agreed to this
we are waiting for the fire union to make this agreement
as the last union
I would respectfully request that both sides return to the bargaining table to resolve this

Donovan - I disagree with de-valuing our job
I don't see someone coming on the job and being paid less than someone next to you on the line
everyone who has done this, causes problems done the road
whether you like unions or not, that is not the issue
mandatory overtime, short staffed
next 6-7 years three-quarters of the department would be gone
I don't see the few jobs that are out there will make the difference
we have to depend on each other
I think it is unfortunate that they made that choice
the nuts and bolts of each contract is different

Kelly - If it is hose that you need or equipment, I'd be first to get it for you

Pfeffer - do we have coverage?
McCarragher - we are at nine tonight, no one was taken off to come here tonight

Bissanti - Question on the process, it doesn't fall on deaf ears. Maybe special consideration should be made?
Nutting - we bargain how to implement the decision, there is no right to bargain over the civil service itself
Bissanti - I heard a compelling argument to keep it but then things change, it is not costing us anything. This should not be stopping our fire fighters from going forward. I haven't heard a compelling argument has been made. I can't see it

Jones - Councilor Mercer has stated all the facts, I concur with Councilors Kelly and Bissanti. My own union has been facing changes like this and we have overcome them. It is my hope that we can get over this and get to negotiation to resolve this. I think you do a great job.

Passed 8-0 via roll call


3. Resolution 14-08: The Woodlands-Approval of Modification (Amendment) to Regulatory Agreement
motion to waive reading, seconded
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

this was to resolve the legal matters around a bankruptcy


4. Bylaw Amendment 14-727: Amendment to Chapter 47, Alcoholic Beverages – 2nd Reading
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

formalize a past practice for treating liquor violations in a fair and consistent fashion
typically see compliance checks not the course of business violations
those are taken care of in a different section here
The ABC is not thrilled with compliance checks
in the course of the last appeal,the ABC was looking for written guidelines

good to see, can provide to the license owners so they will know
if adopted, this will be sent to all licenses holders

good to have a baseline to start with, does not change the Councils ability to deviate as necessary

Passed 8-0 via roll call


5. Bylaw Amendment 14-729: Amendment to Chapter 179-9.1, Exhibit A, Water System Map - 2nd Reading
motion to approve, seconded,
amended to include the memo from the Town Engineer for what the developer has agreed to for compliance

Passed 8-0 via roll call

6. Bylaw Amendment 14-730: Amendment to Chapter 139-14, Exhibit A, Sewer System Map – 2nd Reading

Passed 8-0 via roll call



Live reporting - 5 year Financial Forecast


H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Financial Forecast – Jeffrey Nutting

draft provided earlier, not changed from draft
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/franklin-ma-five-year-fiscal-forecast.html

full report is online
(will provide link when available)

unfunded liability is almost as big as our annual budget ($86M vs $100M)
Franklin not alone in facing this issue

need to continue to lobby for change of outmoded and expensive laws




Live reporting: Town Council - Feb 12, 2014

Present: Feldman, Mercer, Kelly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Williams
Absent: Padula


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
January 29, 2014- Workshop;
January 22, 2014 - Executive Session

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0


B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
Bob Donovan - Franklin Fire Dept - speaking in oppose the motion to removing the Fire Fighters from Civil Service; surprised by the agenda item, under negotiation for current contract; police have language but it may not fit the fire fighters situation. Haven't had the change to talk about it. Civil service is a huge item.

The impact of the passage would have to be negotiated. There are a lot of others things going on with the contract, civil service is not a topic there. There are a lot of liabilities to go along with the civil Service process. Let's work it out before you take it away.

On behalf of the membership, the fire fighters are against removing civil services


E. APPOINTMENTS
none

F. HEARINGS
none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
none

Franklin Schools: Weather Update - decision Thursday morning

A message from FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

February 12, 2014

Dear Parent/Guardians /Faculty/Students:

Current weather forecasts suggest that Franklin will experience another winter storm beginning on Thursday, February 13th during the morning hours and may continue until Friday, February 14th. We have been monitoring the changing forecast and all we can be sure of is there will be snow, ice, rain and wind. We are also concerned about the potential loss of power. Due to a variety of safety factors we do not plan to bring students in and then dismiss early. AS a community with a number of working parents and the changeable conditions across the state we feel this option is not advisable for students, staff or parents. Additionally, keeping school parking lots clear of cars and traffic will facilitate a more efficient cleanup for DPW.

Based on the current forecast we will make our decision by 5:30 a.m. on Thursday. We will monitor the weather reports, confer with public safety officials and make the best decision with the available information. We will initiate our Connect Ed message at 5:30 a.m. and post messages on all major television stations. We will also post a message on our website. If school is not canceled, parents as always maintain the right to keep children home. If you make this decision please contact the school and let them know.

As we look to Friday, February 14th the timing of the storm may impact our opening. If we need to implement a delayed opening we will use Connect Ed messaging and place the message on all major television networks.

Several parents have inquired as to the last day of school and as of today it is June 19 (this reflects 3 snow days. As per MA General Law we are required to complete 180 school days and the school year must end on June 30. We have seven days left to use for inclement weather.

Our goal is always to open school but our priority is safety for all students and staff.

Stay Safe,
Maureen Sabolinski

This e-mail has been sent to you by FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform FRANKLIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-613-1777.

From 'Nemo' in Feb 2012
The Winter St sign appropriately from 'Nemo' in Feb 2012

Storm warning: Parking Ban Activated

PARKING BAN ACTIVATED 02/12/2014


URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1018 AM EST WED FEB 12 2014

...STRONG WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THURSDAY
INTO FRIDAY MORNING...

MAZ006-013-122330-
/O.CON.KBOX.WS.A.0005.140213T1200Z-140214T1200Z/
WESTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN NORFOLK MA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAWRENCE...FOXBORO...NORWOOD
1018 AM EST WED FEB 12 2014

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING
THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

* LOCATIONS...INCLUDE WESTERN ESSEX AND WESTERN NORFOLK COUNTIES.

* HAZARD TYPES...LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW CHANGING TO RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES...ALONG
 WITH AROUND A TRACE OF ICE.

* TIMING...SNOW DEVELOPING THURSDAY MORNING BECOMING HEAVY AT
 TIMES BEFORE CHANGING TO RAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY
 NIGHT.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF ACCUMULATING
SNOW OF 6 OR MORE INCHES IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD...OR 8 OR MORE
INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. ANYONE TRAVELING IN THE NEXT 24 TO
36 HOURS SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO MODIFY
TRAVEL PLANS SHOULD WINTER WEATHER DEVELOP.



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Valentine's exhibit at Franklin Historical Museum

I managed to stop by the Franklin Historical Museum on Sunday to grab some photos of the Valentine's exhibit now on display throughout the month of February.

The display includes:

how Valentine's Day originated
how Valentine's Day originated 


samples of early Franklin Valentine's
samples of early Franklin Valentine's

samples of Valentine sentiments
samples of Valentine expressions

With Valentine's Day this Friday, the museum is not open. It is open on Saturday (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) and on Sunday (from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM).


You can also follow the Historical Museum on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FHM02038

or visit their webpage here http://www.franklinhistoricalmuseum.com/

MassBudget: Job Growth Unrelated to States' Tipped Minimum Wage



MassBudget  Information.
  Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center  Democracy.

The Tipped Minimum Wage & Job Growth

A strong minimum wage helps workers support their families, and it can bolster our economy by increasing the amount of money workers have to spend at local businesses. 

In the case of workers who regularly earn tips, like waiters and hairdressers, employers are only required to pay what's called the "tipped minimum wage," which in Massachusetts is well below the regular minimum wage (it is currently $2.63). The law then requires that for any such worker, the combination of hourly pay and tips must be at least as high as the full minimum wage.
   
Our new factsheet, Job Growth Unrelated to States' Tipped Minimum Wage explores the impact of tipped minimum wage levels on employment in the restaurant and food service job sectors. The new factsheet finds that:  

  • Historically, Massachusetts - with its low tipped minimum wage - has not reliably outperformed high tipped minimum states or the US average for job growth in the restaurant industry

  • Despite Massachusetts low tipped minimum, the restaurant industry itself does not projection strong job growth in Massachusetts over the coming decade, nor meaningfully higher job growth in low tipped minimum states vs. high tipped minimum states generally

  • Tipped workers in states with higher tipped minimum wages have higher earnings and lower poverty rates

 
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

"create an ultimate map for all four towns"

The Milford Daily News catches up to the CIC grant awarded last week:
Franklin Fire Chief Gary McCarraher, who traveled to the State House last Thursday to collect the grant, said it is common for individual towns to have GIS maps. But this grant will be used to create an ultimate map for all four towns, a true innovation. 
"This would allow us to create a master map so each community can share information," McCarraher said. "Eventually that information will get piped from the dispatch center into the cab of the emergency vehicle that’s responding." 
He said the system proves helpful because there may be firefighters responding to a community they may not be familiar with. 
"The whole idea of dispatch is rapidly sending resources to the right address, so what this does is, if you call 911, regardless of where you call from, your information will show up on the map," he said. "There will be no need for the dispatcher to ask, ‘Can you give me that address again?’ Or, ‘What’s the location of the closest hydrant?’ All of that will be in front of them. And that’s powerful."

Read the full article here: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140212/NEWS/140218950/1994/NEWS#sthash.AjgFE7JW.dpuf

The story appeared here on Saturday
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/regional-dispatch-center-receives.html

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School (Video)

Just in the new enrollment video created by the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public school. The enrollment deadline is Monday, February 24th.






The online application is available HERE: http://bfccps.org/about/enrollment/enrollment-application/

For more about the school visit them on the web here http://bfccps.org/